Matador Women Pen New Chapter in Success Story
NORTHRIDGE — Winning isn’t everything, but it’s the latest thing for the Cal State Northridge women’s basketball team.
A program that in recent years ranked among the worst in the nation at the Division I level continued its resurgence Wednesday night with a 73-62 Big Sky Conference victory over Cal State Sacramento before 317 at Northridge.
The victory was the fifth in six games for the Matadors (7-7, 4-1 in conference), who tonight host Weber State. With a victory, Northridge--4-23 last season and 10-71 over the past three years--will boast its first winning record since 1989.
“We’ve struggled long and hard to build a program that was in the depths of despair,” third-year Coach Michael Abraham said. “The winning is not really as rewarding as the effort we are putting into it.
“We will be a dominant team in this conference. It may not happen this year, but it’s going to happen.”
The turnaround might have begun last season had the Matadors had the services of center Maya Muzurovic, who missed the season because of a knee injury.
Muzurovic, a 6-foot-3 sophomore from Yugoslavia, posted career-high totals of 15 points and 12 rebounds against Sacramento, despite playing with her right knee heavily bandaged and in a brace.
Muzurovic scored nine points in the second half, including four during a decisive 10-1 run that extended Northridge’s lead to 52-41. The score was tied, 36-36, at halftime.
“I guess we’re starting to get used to winning,” Muzurovic said. “People in the program are pretty good. There has to be a result.”
Muzurovic was among four Matadors who scored in double figures. Tannea Nelson and LaShaunda Fowler each had 14 points.
Freshman guard Edniesha Curry, the conference’s leading scorer, had 11 points, as well as career-high totals of nine rebounds and nine assists.
“I was more of a point guard tonight,” Curry said. “It’s exciting to win--period.”
The victory also was the first for the Matadors over Sacramento (3-9, 0-3) since 1989 and ended the Hornets’ 16-game winning streak against Northridge.
Freshman forward Neda Milic, who had four points and five rebounds, also returned after being sidelined last season because of a knee injury.
“With those players healthy, it revitalized some of the other players,” Abraham said.
